An identification (ID), or an access card or badge, is a common asset, often worn by a user to identify the user, to monitor the user, or to gain user access to a secure area. ID and electronic access badges vary in shape, size, engineered features, and construction, depending upon their intended purposes. Typical features of ID badges and access cards include a photo of the user, the user's name, and a machine-readable identification code, which may include a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag or a similarly acting element.
Devices for attaching and securing an asset, such as an ID and access card or badge, to an individual often include, or otherwise make use of, lanyards with clip-on holders, and are well known. Typically, these devices either permanently attach to the asset, or allow the asset to disconnect from the holder by employing clips, snaps, or other metal or plastic fasteners. Other such devices employ a spring-loaded or coiled attachment cable, which allows a user to pull the asset a short distance from the user without actually detaching the asset from the device, and which then retracts or recoils to return the asset to the user.
Many of these wearable asset-attachment devices require some degree of dexterity to attach to the asset, and do not allow for the asset to be easily disconnected from the holder, as may be desired for ease of use. Furthermore, many of these devices are purely mechanical attachments, and provide no capability to alert the user, and potentially another person (e.g., a security administrator) or entity (e.g., a security-monitoring service), if the asset is misplaced, stolen or otherwise detached from the holder for a prolonged period of time.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a better attachment system for assets such as ID and access cards or badges, with easy-to-use, yet intelligent, attachment and monitoring features for both the wearer/user and the administrator of the badge or badge system.
One or more embodiments address this problem to provide a versatile, practical, and intelligent badge or other small-asset detachment-sensor system. With the following disclosure, one or more embodiments of the system are described with reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference characters included in the above drawings indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, as discussed herein. The description herein illustrates one or more embodiments, in one form, and the description herein is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure or claims in any manner. It should be understood that the above-listed figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and may include fragmentary views, graphic symbols, diagrammatic representations, or schematic representations. Details that are not necessary for an understanding of embodiments by one skilled in the technology of the disclosed embodiments, or that render other details difficult to perceive, may be omitted.